A little bit of the old country came to Taunton Sunday night with a traditional Portuguese ceremony, kicking off a feast to be held in the city this weekend.

Called the “moving of the crown,” a procession of members of the Portuguese community led by Susy and Jose Paiva walked from Jefferson Street to the Ward Five Club. The event featured a cart led by two oxen, hauling firewood and wine barrels, while woman carried bread by balancing loaves on their head.

“Traditionally, back in the day, that’s how they brought all the supplies to the main central location of the feast,” Susy Paiva said. “In Taunton, they never had that before.”

More than 2,000 pounds of beef will be served at the annual feast — called “Irmindade do Espirito Santo de Taunton,” in Portuguese — which will run on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The event is held to celebrate the Catholic belief in the Holy Spirit and has been organized by the Holy Ghost Society for 14 years.

Susy Paiva said the oxen came from Hudson, brought by a man who raises them there “just for these occasions.” Paiva said her father-in-law Antonio, when living back in Portugal, raised oxen and used them for similar feasts.

“He was reminiscing quite a bit,” she said, speaking of her father-in-law’s reaction to the Sunday night ceremony. “He was so happy about it.”

Susy Paiva said her family led the crown procession because of a tradition honored at last year’s feast. At the end, as will happen this week, families put their names into a hat and seven are drawn, with the last one being the “special one.” The families take turns after Easter Sunday praying the rosary for a whole week, with the crown alternating from family to family.

“My husband is born in Portugal and he did it very specific to his island Santa Maria in Azores,” she said. “My family is from St. Michael. But in my husband’s family it’s embedded in their blood.”